Forum Training
April 13, 2015
What We Will Cover
• Overview of Phorum Terms
• Use, Administration, and Moderation of
Phorum.
• Hands on Demonstration of Phorum
• Discuss ‘Roll Out’ Plan for Phorum
• Questions
What We Will Cover (cont)
• Phorum has many features, we will focus on the
basics.
• Phorum is on your test site. Experiment. Test.
Give feedback.
• BEV will also be experimenting and testing.
• BEV does NOT have an Online Discussion
Forum. TOP counties are ‘pioneers’ in this area.
BEV and the counties will learn together.
Overview of Phorum - Phorum
Terms
• Phorum - Phorum is the software that is used to
manage the Online Discussion Forum on your web
site.
• Online Discussion Forum - Provides a web-based
forum in which participants with common
interests can exchange open messages and ideas.
Much like a bulletin board that visitors can view
and post messages to.
Overview of Phorum - Phorum
Terms
• Topic - In online discussions, a topic is a subject
with a common theme. Anyone can create a new
topic.
• Post - To publish a reply to a topic on the Online
Discussion Forum. Also a message that has been
previously published is called a post.
• Thread - In online discussions, a series of
messages that have been posted as replies to each
other on the same topic.
Posting to the Discussion
Forum
• In order to view or post to the discussion forum an
individual must first log in.
• The user name and password for logging into the
discussion forum will be the same as the user
name and password for the People Directory.
• The forum will NOT be visible to the public.
Posting to the Discussion
Forum Demonstration
Moderation of the Discussion
Forum
• Forum Moderators
• Can Receive emails of all posts to a topic. (This is the
default setting for your Discussion Forum.)
• Can Approve posts before they are added to a topic.
• Can Edit and Delete posts to a topic.
• Can Close a thread.
• Can Hide a thread.
• Note: Forum Administrators determine whether
Forum Moderators receive posts before or after
they are added to the thread.
• Be aware that moderators are ‘powerful’! Main
responsibility is determining appropriate content
for your Discussion Forum.
Forum Moderator Demonstration
Administering the Discussion
Forum
• Forum Administrator:
• Can Designate Forum Moderators
• Can Stop Phorum
• Key: Forum Administrators and Forum
Moderators are separate roles.
Online Discussion Forum ‘Roll
Out’ Plan
• Initially, the Online Discussion Forum will
be on the county’s TEST website only.
• TLT members will use and test the forum.
• The county VCE agent(s) and TLT members
will decide when they would like for the
forum to be placed on the counties
production website.
Online Discussion Forum Long
Term Support Plan
• County TLTs will field questions from
members of the community regarding the
use of the Online Discussion Forum.
• BEV will handle technical issues of forum,
i.e. software upgrades and patches.
Questions about Forum?
Community Connections and
Virtual Business Incubator
Overview
April 13, 2015
Community Connections
• What is the Community Connections
program?
• Provides professional web hosting service to
non-profit and community organizations for a
small fee ($20 per year)
• Gives organizations a web presence
• Gives organizations an opportunity to increase
communication and interaction with members
of the community
Community Connections
• What services are provided with a
Community Connections account?
• Web hosting for a web site (up to 20 megabytes
of text and graphics)
• Two permanent email addresses
• An online mailing list (listserv) that allows up
to 100 subscribers
Virtual Business Incubator
• What is the Virtual Business Incubator
(VBI) program?
• Provides home and micro businesses (5 or
fewer employees) with professional web
hosting service
• Provides marketing and business management
assistance to help understand how to integrate
the Internet into their business through
Community Readiness Workshops
Virtual Business Incubator
• What services are provided with a Virtual
Business Incubator account?
• Web hosting for a web site (up to 20 megabytes of text
and graphics).
• No charge for a VBI account until June 30th, 2005.
• After June 30th, 2005, the business will need to find a new
web hosting service.
• One permanent email address
• An online mailing list that allows up to 100 subscribers
Comparison of Web Site
Listings and Accounts
Community
Group Listing
on Web Site
Community
Connections
Account
Local
VBI Account
Business
Listing on Web
Site
Can be used Non Profit
by
And
Community
Organizations
Non Profit
And
Community
Organizations
Any Business
New home and
micro
businesses
Charge for
Service
$20 Per Year
Free
Free. BEV can
not host after
6-30-2005
Free
Questions about Community
Connections or VBI?